Saigon Central Post Office ranked world's second most beautiful

Saigon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City has been ranked second on a list of the world's 11 most beautiful post offices compiled by the U.S. magazine Architectural Digest.

The post office is part of the Vietnam Post Corporation (Vietnam Post), a member of Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT).

"The yellow façade and green shutters of the Saigon Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City have turned the building into not only just a post office, but a popular tourist attraction," Architectural Digest wrote.

"The structure was designed by Alfred Foulhoux in the late 1880s when Vietnam was part of French Indochina and hence features many elements of renaissance, gothic, and other French architectural styles," it added.

The other post offices on the list in order are: Algiers Central Post Office (Algeria), Palacio de Correos de México (Mexico), Los Angeles (California), Palacio de Comunicaciones (Spain), Colombus (U.S.), James A. Farely Post Office (New York), Ragusa (Italy), Main Post Office (Germany), Kolkata General Post Office (India) and Winslow (Arizona).

According to Architectural Digest, the beauty of the post office is often in its function: it allows people to stay connected, no matter where they are around the world. Even so, post office design is not often given the same consideration as other public works, like palaces or parliament buildings.

"Anyone who’s shipped a package or letter knows that, in many cases, a mailing station is little more than a place to drop off letters and boxes with a few employees behind a desk. But that doesn’t mean beautiful post offices don’t exist," it commented.

In mid February, Ho Chi Minh City was ranked second on the list of Asia's 10 best cities for street food lovers by leading Australian travel site Traveller.

"A misconception about Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon's street vendors is that they come from a place of poverty and depend on selling food out of mobile carts for sustenance. On the contrary, street food is a way of life in Vietnam," it wrote.

According to the travel site, "while most could dish out their banh mi (baguette sandwiches), chao muc (squid porridge), and xa xiu (barbecued pork) out of old-fashioned restaurants, plastic chairs and tables on the streets are where locals prefer to eat their meals."